1. The Field of the Invention
This invention broadly relates to a method of watering plants. In some of its more specific aspects, the invention is concerned with a method whereby plants may be watered and/or fed nutrients to promote growth, yield and/or beauty, and to increase resistance to disease and/or adverse environmental conditions.
2. The Prior Art
Established plants which are being grown in soil require moisture and a number of plant nutrients for vigorous growth such as compounds of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron and other essential elements. The plant nutrients are usually water soluble and they must be in a chemical form which allows them to be utilized by the plants. Thus, the mere presence of sufficient moisture and essential elemental substances in the soil does not necessarily mean that the plants are able to utilize them effectively. Also, the plant nutrients should be present in the proper concentrations and ratios for the most effective utilization by the plants. As is well known, many soils are deficient in one or more plant nutrients and/or the plant nutrients which are present are not in a chemical form easily utilized by plants. Also, when insufficient moisture is present in the soil, then the growing plants are not able to utilize even the normally available nutrients.
A number of attempts have been made heretofore to overcome the above mentioned limitations and disadvantages of natural soils. The most common approach at the present time usually involves watering the growing plants with plain water when insufficient moisture is present in the soil, and/or analyzing the soil to determine the available plant nutrients, and then adding plant nutrients in which the soil is deficient in the form of chemical fertilizers. This method is expensive and, as a general rule, it must be repeated frequently to achieve the best results as all or part of the water and/or added plant nutrients are consumed by the growing plants. The use of conventional chemical fertilizers also does not have any appreciable beneficial effect on plant nutrients present in the soil in an unavailable form. Additionally, chemical fertilizers do not increase the resistance of the growing plants to disease or adverse environmental conditions.
It will be apparent from the foregoing that the art has long sought an entirely satisfactory method of watering growing established plants which not only provides sufficient moisture, but also assures more effective utilization of plant nutrients and converts normally unavailable plant nutrients to a form the growing plants are capable of utilizing. Additionally, the method should provide the growing plants with an environment which results in greater resistance to disease and/or adverse environmental conditions. However, a suitable method of watering growing plants which provides these beneficial effects simultaneously was not available prior to the present invention.